NEW RELEASE & TOUR! -- N'toko: Mind Business

Mind Business (CAR-77)

CD available from:

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Tower Records

HMV
Amazon

MARCH 2014 JAPAN TOUR

12th (Wed) - Tokyo, Shibuya Home

13th (Thu) - Yokohama Shicho Shitsu

15th (Sat) - Nagoya Ripple

19th (Wed) - Kumamoto Navaro

20th (Thu) - Fukuoka Utero (DJ set)

21st (Fri) - Fukuoka Utero

22nd (Sat) - Kagoshima Word Up

23rd (Sun) - Saga Rag-G

29th (Sat) - Tokyo, Koenji 20000V/二万電圧

母国スロベニアのスーパースター、N’toko。UKやヨーロッパ大陸をCrystal CastlesをはじめMelt Bananaほか、そうそうたるメンツらと共にツアーを周ってきた。そんなN’tokoにとって第二の故郷とも言える場所が東京だ。これまでコンスタントに東京に長期滞在を果たし、地元のインディーズミュージシャンらと音楽活動を行ってきた。

A superstar in his native Slovenia who has toured continental Europe and the UK and played alongside everyone from Crystal Castles to Melt Banana, N'toko has also made a second home of sorts for himself in Tokyo, where he regularly stays for extended periods, working with local indie and experimental musicians.

N’tokoの奏でる音楽はEBMやインダストリアルの要素を含んだ「ヒップホップ」と「エクスペリメンタル・エレクトロニック」の2つのルーツから成る。また、彼はパンクやオルタナミュージックシーンに深い愛情があり、音楽性そのものだけではなく、音楽のもつ荒削りさ・勢い・インディペンデントスピリットへの愛情が深い。2012年春夏には日本国内ツアーを敢行し、N’tokoのアルバムはThe WireやMTVなど国際的なメディアで賞賛を受けた。

His music has twin roots in hip hop and experimental electronic music like EBM and industrial, and he has a profound fondness for the punk and alternative music scenes, not just for their music but also for their rawness, energy and independent spirit. He toured throughout Japan in Spring/Summer 2012 and his albums have received praise in the international media from outlets such as The Wire and MTV.

スロベニアでは、N’tokoの書くリリックが社会を強く意識したものであるがために彼は一世代のスポークスマン(不本意ながらも)になった。一方日本で、雑多なサブカル高円寺、前衛的なファッションであふれる原宿、渋谷のクラブシーン―これら東京のもつ魅力に取り憑かれてしまう。これらの要素がN’tokoの音楽の中で衝突し、鋭い耳で繋ぎ合わされ、ビートと乾いたヒューモアセンスが創り上げられた。

In Slovenia, N'toko's music and socially-conscious lyrics have made him a (sometimes unwilling) spokesperson for a generation, while in Japan he is fascinated by the trashy subcultures of Koenji, the avant-garde fashion world of Harajuku and the club scene of Shibuya. All of these themes collide in his music, strung together with a keen ear for beats and a dry sense of humour.

「Mind Business」はN’tokoの日本国内リリース第2弾のアルバムであり、ヨーロッパでの生活や日本での滞在生活に影響を受けた作品となっている。ミュージックビデオ「The Baddest」(directed by by Tomaž Šantl)では祖国スロベニアが鋭く観察されており、「Mind Business」(directed by Matt Schley)では日本の映画監督 石井 聰亙にインスパイアされていて、この2つのMVを見ていただくと彼の音楽性を垣間見ることができるだろう。

このアルバムはスロベニアのプロデューサーIgor Vukによりミックスとマスタリングが行われ(タイトルトラックのみSwiss producer Beckoningがプロデュース)、Seijiro Murayama、ZONZONO、Yuki Kanekoら日本のミュージシャンもセッションに参加している。

"Mind Business" is N'toko's second album released in Japan and shows influences from his life in Europe and his stays in Japan. This is easily apparent in the videos, with "The Baddest" (directed by by Tomaž Šantl) depicting sharply observed scenes of his native Slovenia, and "Mind Business" (directed by Matt Schley) a Sogo Ishii-inspired surreal mind trip through the backstreets of Koenji. The album was mixed and mastered by Slovenian producer Igor Vuk apart from the title track, produced by Swiss producer Beckoning, the album also draws from sessions with Japanese musicians like Seijiro Murayama, ZONZONO and Kaneko Yuki.

Miu Mau "Monochrome/Spring" + Hysteric Picnic "Cult Pops" Tokyo Release Party (March 1st, 2014)

Miu Mau and Hysteric Picnic are having a release party for the "Monochrome/Spring" 7inch and the "Cult Pops" mini-album on March 1st. They'll be joined by disco-punk trio Jebiotto and psychedelic kraut-blues band Buddy Girl and Mechanic, with Saya from Merpeoples joining as a guest DJ.

Place: Shibuya Home
Date: 3/1(Sat)
Time: 19:00 open / 19:30 start
Cost: ¥2000+drink (adv) / ¥2500+drink (door)
Live:
- Miu Mau
- Hysteric Picnic
- Jebiotto
- Buddy Girl and Mechanic
DJs:
- Sayaka (Merpeoples)
- Ian Martin (Call And Response Records)

Tententen: Naked (January 19th, 2014)

January finds Tententen revelling in the icy grip of winter with Gallic beat expressionists Lo-shi and industrial noisettes group A. Join us and greet the new year with arms and legs open: feel its chill breath on your bare flesh and laugh, hahaha!

Date: 19th Jan (Sun)
Place: Koenji Art Bar Ten/天
Time: 8:00pm-1:00am
Cost: ¥500+1 drink
Live:
- group A
- Lo-shi
DJs:
- Umez
- ケンジル・ビエン
- Ian Martin (Call And Response Records)
VJ:
- eetee
Expo:
- Tintin au Congo à poil (Thomas Lebrun)

Fashion Crisis Shinnenkai! (January 2014)

Celebrate the new year with the first Fashion Crisis of 2014. There'll be a semi-acoustic live set from indiepop sweethearts Groves and tunes from guest DJs Saya from Merpeoples (the band) and Ryotaro from Ragnarok (the place) who will be playing together as Parallels.

Date: January 3rd (Fri)
Place: Koenji One
Time: 8:00pm-midnight
Cost: FREE!
LIVE:
- Groves [CANCELLED]
DJs:
- Parallels
- James Hadfield
- Ian Martin

Tententen: Méduse (December 15th, 2013)

Helping us say farewell to the Year of the Snake in this final Tententen of the year are icy fake-Russian synthesists Mir and disco-punk fantasists Jebiotto, with the Tententen team on decks and this month's exhibition by photographer and dedicated documenter of Tokyo backstreets Matt Schley.

Old Year: New Wave!

JEBIOTTO!//DEACON PUNK from STUDIO GLAMOUR on Vimeo.

Date: 15th Dec (Sun)
Place: Koenji Art Bar Ten/天
Time: 8:00pm-1:00am
Cost: ¥500+1 drink
Live:
- Mir
- Jebiotto
DJs:
- Ralouf (Lo-shi)
- Gotal (Lo-shi)
- Ian Martin (Call And Response Records)

NEW RELEASE! Hysteric Picnic: Cult Pops (CAR-78)

Tokyo new wave/postpunk band Hysteric Picnic have a new mini-album available in shops now. Recalling the sounds of Joy Division, The Birthday Party, and The Jesus And Mary Chain, as well as elements of Krautrock, goth and psychedelia, Cult Pop is at once dark, powerful, intense and quite beautiful.

Cult Pops (CAR-78)

1. Cult Pop
2. Shiosai
3. Memai
4. Mirror
5. Obecca Dance

ON SALE NOW!

Bridge

Disk Union

Tower Records

Amazon.co.jp

HMV

Tsutaya

Jet Set Records

N'toko Balkan tour and new album "Mind Business" (CAR-77)

Audiences in Japan will have to wait until March, but Balkan fans can catch N'toko on tour over the next couple of weeks, including several shows with Serbia's ferocious Repetitor and Macedonian newcomers Molokai. Dates are:

November 29th 2013 Novo Mesto, LokalPatriot (with BeatMyth)
November 30th 2013 Ljubljana, Kino Šiška (solo concert with Repetitor and Molokai)
December 7th 2013 Novi Pazar (solo concert, with Repetitor and Molokai)
December 8th 2013 Skopje (solo concert, with Repetitor and Molokai)
December 13th 2013 Belgrade (solo concert, with Repetitor and Molokai)

In addition, Dutch fans will be able to catch him at the Eurosonic Festival in Groningen on January 15th and 16th.

These shows will also be the first chance for audiences to get hold of N'toko's excellent new English language album Mind Business before its official Japan release in January. The album includes 13 new tracks, including some of the fruits of experiments he did on his last Japan tour as well as work with Swiss producer Beckoning.

The video for the title track, filmed in the backstreets of Koenji and Asagaya by Matt Schley in Summer 2012 is already up:


In addition, a video for The Baddest, directed by Tomaž Šantl is also now up:


Details on the Japanese release date and tour info will follow.